At least four people were killed and many more injured in fighting between armed men during local elections in southern Nigeria, according to newspaper reports today.
It was reported that two people were shot dead in southeastern Enugu state after armed men suspected to be working for a ruling party hijacked a bus carrying ballot boxes and voting slips to polling stations.
People working for an opposition party clashed with them and several people were shot.
Two others were killed in southwestern Oyo state, where reports said about 150 people were arrested after being caught stuffing ballot boxes with voting slips marked in favour of the ruling party.
Violence, vote-rigging and a low turnout were reported in several other states.
Nigeria, Africa's most populous country and biggest oil producer, returned to civilian rule in 1999 after three decades of almost continuous army dictatorship.
But eight years later, violence remains a element of Nigerian politics.
European Union observers condemned Nigeria's national election in April as "not credible" because of widespread vote-rigging and intimidation.
The elections for president, state governors and legislators were labelled "a charade" by the biggest domestic monitoring organisation.
Courts have already overturned the results of five of April's gubernatorial polls over fraud and many more state and federal legislators have lost their seats after courts ruled the voting was rigged.
Even the presidential result is in doubt, with President Umaru Yar'Adua's two closest rivals challenging his victory before a special electoral tribunal in the capital Abuja.